Rethinking how we hire information security leaders in 2025

Information security leaders are the people defining how organizations think about risk, trust, and resilience. Their jobs have grown far beyond managing firewalls or monitoring network traffic. Today, they’re strategists, communicators, and culture shapers. They write policies, guide compliance efforts, and make sure security isn’t just a checklist but a mindset shared across the entire organization.

In 2025, hiring the right kind of security leader is more complicated than ever. Technology keeps evolving, regulations keep tightening, and cybersecurity now sits at the center of business strategy. Companies can’t rely on the same hiring playbook they used five years ago. They need leaders who can speak both languages, the technical and the executive, and who understand that security is as much about people and behavior as it is about systems and code.

That human element is where many organizations still fall short. A recent Journal of Educational Health Promotion study assessing cybersecurity awareness among healthcare professionals in India found that only 34% of medical practitioners and 12% of nurses had received any formal cybersecurity training. Authors of the study wrote, “Most hospitals demonstrate failure in implementing adequate policies for protecting data and for training programs that create awareness regarding cybersecurity.” The gap between technology and human readiness remains one of the biggest risks to patient data today.

The most effective information security leaders don’t just know the tech; they understand organizational culture, motivation, and the psychology of risk. They build workplaces where employees care about security because they understand why it matters. In healthcare, this balance is especially needed. Leaders have to juggle patient privacy, compliance, and complex systems, all while keeping teams aware, engaged, and accountable.

The role itself is no longer a backroom IT function but a board-level conversation. Regulators and executives now expect cybersecurity leaders to explain risk in the language of business, how it affects finances, operations, and reputation. They must translate technical frameworks like HIPAA, NIST, and SOC 2 into clear, actionable insights. 

Why the traditional model is broken 

For years, hiring in cybersecurity has followed the same formula. Certifications like CISSP or CISM, a decade of experience, and often an advanced degree. Those credentials were meant to guarantee technical competence and compliance, and to reassure boards that their risk was being managed. It’s a model that values control, documentation, and precision, but it often misses creativity, communication, and adaptability. In many ways, it has produced security guardians, professionals trained to enforce policies and block threats, instead of leaders who can help a business grow stronger and more resilient.

That approach doesn’t hold up as cyber threats evolve faster than hiring frameworks do. Leaders today face challenges their predecessors never imagined, AI-driven attacks, deepfakes, nation-state cyber espionage, and nonstop regulatory pressure. It’s no longer enough to understand firewalls and compliance checklists. The modern information security leader has to connect those controls to strategy, translating technical risks into business terms that make sense to executives, investors, and employees alike.

As ‘The Future Cybersecurity Workforce: Going Beyond Technical Skills for Successful Cyber Performance’ a review of the cybersecurity workforce put it, “the people who operate within the cyber domain need a combination of technical skills, domain-specific knowledge, and social intelligence to be successful. They, like the networks they operate, must also be reliable, trustworthy, and resilient.”

The overvalue of degrees and certifications 

Degrees and certifications have always carried weight in information security hiring. They reflect commitment, discipline, and a solid foundation in the field. Credentials like CISSP or CISM show that a candidate has invested the time to learn core frameworks, while advanced degrees suggest structured thinking and academic rigor. But these qualifications alone rarely predict success in leadership roles. Exams can measure what someone knows, not how they lead under pressure, make ethical decisions, or navigate a crisis.

Rigid credential requirements can also shut out exceptional talent. Career changers, veterans, and self-taught professionals often bring unconventional experience, problem-solving skills, and adaptability that formal education doesn’t capture. In fact, a 2024 ISACA survey found that 42% of organizations now prioritize hands-on experience, mindset, and strategic thinking over formal credentials when hiring for senior information security roles.

Diversity that goes beyond demographics 

Cognitive diversity makes cybersecurity teams smarter and more effective. When people with different backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking work together, they spot risks others might miss, from social engineering tactics and misinformation campaigns to insider threats. Teams that think alike often fall into groupthink, overlooking subtle warning signs and slowing down response times when it matters most.

As ‘Cyber Teaming and Role Specialization in a Cyber Security Defense Competition’ explains, “Our results indicate that effective collaboration, experience, and functional role-specialization within the teams are important factors that determine the success of these teams in the competition and are important observational predictors of the timely detection and effective mitigation of ongoing cyber attacks.”

When cybersecurity leaders build teams that mix analysts, engineers, strategists, and communicators, they create more than just technical defense units, they create adaptive systems capable of anticipating and countering threats in real time. Diversity, in this sense, is not a buzzword; it’s a strategic advantage that turns individual talent into collective resilience.

Creating realistic job expectations and descriptions 

Job descriptions need to do more than list rigid credentials or technical checkboxes. They should tell a story about the role’s real-world impact, how it fits into the broader mission of the organization, and supports long-term business goals. Instead of centering on compliance or control, descriptions should provide for innovation, communication, and strategic thinking. 

To make these expectations clear, job descriptions should define specific, actionable responsibilities like threat detection, incident response, team leadership, and cross-department collaboration. They should also note behavioral skills such as crisis management, ethical decision-making, and the ability to build trust across diverse teams. 

Too often, rigid credential requirements discourage talented, nontraditional candidates, like veterans, career changers, or those with hybrid experience in policy and behavioral science,  who bring valuable perspectives. A more flexible, inclusive approach widens the talent pool and strengthens the organization’s adaptive capacity.

As one comprehensive review, ‘Information Security Behavior in Health Information Systems: A Review of Research Trends and Antecedent Factors’ explains, “This study aims to review the literature on antecedent factors of information security related to the protection of health information systems (HISs) in healthcare organizations... The three most frequent individual factors were self-efficacy, perceived severity, and attitudes, while the three most frequent organizational factors were management support, cues to action, and organizational culture.”

Assessing for strategic and emotional intelligence 

What really separates great cybersecurity leaders from the rest is emotional intelligence. It’s what helps them stay calm when things go wrong, explain complex risks in plain English, and guide their teams through chaos without losing focus. ‘Emotional intelligence, leadership, and work teams: A hybrid literature review’ notes: “Our in-depth review of the articles has shown that emotionally intelligent leaders improve both behaviors and business results and have an impact on work team performance. It also discussed a positive relationship between emotional competence and team members’ attitudes about work.” 

That’s why emotional intelligence needs to be part of the hiring process. Instead of only asking about frameworks and certifications, interviewers should look for self-awareness, empathy, and communication under pressure. Ask candidates how they’d brief the board during a live ransomware attack or how they’d rebuild team morale after one. Leadership simulations can reveal how someone handles stress, while reference checks can uncover how they resolve conflict or earn trust across departments. 

See also: HIPAA Compliant Email: The Definitive Guide (2025 Update)

FAQs

How does HIPAA affect the work of cybersecurity teams?

HIPAA sets the baseline for data privacy and security in U.S. healthcare. Cybersecurity teams ensure compliance by implementing safeguards under the Security Rule. 

What are the biggest cybersecurity threats facing healthcare today?

Ransomware, phishing, insider threats, and third-party vendor breaches top the list. Attackers know hospitals can’t afford downtime, making them easy targets.

What certifications help healthcare cybersecurity professionals advance?

Certifications like CISSP, CISM, CEH, and CompTIA Security+ are highly valued. For healthcare-specific roles, credentials such as HealthCare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner demonstrate specialized knowledge of HIPAA and patient data protection.